Austrian police arrest 15 for targeting gay individuals

Austrian police have arrested at least 15 people for hate crimes against the gay community. Those arrested include 12 men and three women, aged 14 to 26. They are accused of using fake social media accounts to lure victims to isolated areas where they were attacked and robbed. The group, operating since May 2024, claimed their actions targeted "paedophiles." However, police say their real focus was on harming gay individuals. Officers conducted raids on Friday, involving around 400 police personnel, as part of an investigation led by the Graz public prosecutor's office. The suspects met their victims in remote locations, where they filmed the assaults and uploaded the videos online. So far, police have identified at least 17 incidents, and one case is being investigated for attempted murder. Authorities believe there may be more unreported victims. The raids took place at 23 different locations in Austria and Slovakia. Of the 15 people arrested, 11 were from Austria, while others were from Croatia, Germany, Romania, and Slovakia. During the searches, police also discovered weapons and Nazi memorabilia. They emphasized that there is "no concrete threat to the public."